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Mon, 19 Mar 2018 16:49:27 +0000en-UShourly1https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/TLR-logo-125x125.jpegThe Libertarian Republichttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com
3232Supreme Court Rejects Attempt To End The Death Penaltyhttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-end-the-death-penalty/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-end-the-death-penalty/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 16:49:27 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88562Kevin Daley The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a constitutional challenge to the death penalty Monday, though four justices wrote separately to criticize Arizona’s capital sentencing process, which they strongly suggested is unconstitutional. Though the group agreed that the court should not hear the case, the statement reflects a continued effort to narrow the

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a constitutional challenge to the death penalty Monday, though four justices wrote separately to criticize Arizona’s capital sentencing process, which they strongly suggested is unconstitutional.

Though the group agreed that the court should not hear the case, the statement reflects a continued effort to narrow the application of capital punishment to all but the most heinous crimes.

The case, Hidalgo v. Arizona, was occasioned in 2001, when Abel Hidalgo was paid $1,000 to murder Michael Cordova, an auto repair shop owner. In the course of committing that crime, Hidalgo killed an innocent bystander. By the time he was charged with the murders, he was already serving a life sentence for a double homicide on an Indian reservation in Idaho. He pleaded guilty to the 2001 murders, and a jury sentenced him to death.

On appeal, Hidalgo argued Arizona’s death penalty regime is impermissibly broad, and that capital punishment itself is unconstitutional in light of modern standards.

The high court explained in a 1988 case that the capital sentencing process must “genuinely narrow the class of persons eligible for the death penalty and must reasonably justify the imposition of a more severe sentence on the defendant compared to others found guilty of murder.” What’s more, state legislatures must enact clear factors to help juries determine when the death penalty may be lawfully applied.

The Arizona legislature, Hidalgo says, has adopted such broad standards that virtually every murderer in the state may be executed. He claims 98 percent of Arizona’s first degree murder defendants were eligible for the death penalty between 2002 and 2012. The state Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in March 2017.

Hidalgo’s petition to the high court drew support from prominent human rights groups like Amnesty International and a coalition of former Arizona law enforcement officials. Neal Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general in former President Barack Obama’s administration, represented Hidalgo.

Justice Stephen Breyer, a vocal critic of the death penalty, wrote an eight-page opinion agreeing with the court’s decision to turn down the case, while explaining why Arizona’s system is likely unlawful. His opinion was joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan.

Four votes are needed to hear a case, making Monday’s statement a strong signal that the court will grant a similar petition in the future.

Still, Breyer said the case was not appropriate for review because of scant underlying facts and evidence. He noted a different death row defendant could bring the same claim with a more complete record, likely warranting their review. This sort of “docket-setting” is common at the high court. The justices frequently use statements of Monday’s sort to encourage attorneys to bring cases about particular subjects.

Breyer declined to address the second question of the petition, which asked “whether the death penalty in and of itself violates the Eighth Amendment, in light of contemporary standards of decency.”

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]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-end-the-death-penalty/feed/0Jim Carrey Paints ‘Monstrous’ Portrait Of Sarah Huckabee Sandershttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/jim-carrey-paints-monstrous-portrait-of-sarah-huckabee-sanders/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/jim-carrey-paints-monstrous-portrait-of-sarah-huckabee-sanders/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 14:38:07 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88558Gabrielle Okun Jim Carrey painted a “monstrous” portrait of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and shared the painting on Twitter Saturday. Carrey, a comedian known for his role in “Dumb & Dumber” and “Ace Ventura,” painted a portrait of Sanders to showcase his despise for the Trump administration, reported Decider. While the painiting does not

Carrey, a comedian known for his role in “Dumb & Dumber” and “Ace Ventura,” painted a portrait of Sanders to showcase his despise for the Trump administration, reported Decider. While the painiting does not explicitly mention Sanders, it alludes to being a portrait of her based on the caption.

“This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked … Monstrous!” Carrey tweeted.

This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous! pic.twitter.com/MeYLTy1pqb

This is not the first time Sanders has been criticized by Hollywood. Chelsea Handler previously created a video of her for the Netflix series “Chelsea” of fellow comedian Fortune Feimster in makeup pretending to be Sanders.

WATCH:

Carrey also created another unflattering depiction of the Trump White House. He tweeted out a portrait of “Caveman Trump” on Feb. 9.

It should no longer be a surprise to people that Caveman Trump would hire a man like Porter, who’s accused of beating his wives. If you want nasty things done, you hire nasty people. That’s how criminal syndicates thrive. #impeachprehistoricpotuspic.twitter.com/86JaEMcp2M

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/jim-carrey-paints-monstrous-portrait-of-sarah-huckabee-sanders/feed/0Gun Control Group ‘Everytown’ Tweet Backfires After Showing Magazine Loaded Backwardshttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/gun-control-group-everytown-tweet-backfires-after-showing-magazine-loaded-backwards/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/gun-control-group-everytown-tweet-backfires-after-showing-magazine-loaded-backwards/#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 13:33:45 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88546Follow on Facebook or Twitter Gun control groups have become parodies of themselves. They’ve become the exact caricatures that 2nd Amendment supporters have long painted them as. They’ve done it without our help, based on their own ignorance. The gun control group Everytown For Gun Safety tweeted the following Newsweek article: "If teachers are allowed

Gun control groups have become parodies of themselves. They’ve become the exact caricatures that 2nd Amendment supporters have long painted them as. They’ve done it without our help, based on their own ignorance.

The gun control group Everytown For Gun Safety tweeted the following Newsweek article:

"If teachers are allowed to carry handguns in classrooms, Trump’s proposal will only make black and brown children like mine less safe—facing an increased risk of gun violence in the places they go to learn and grow." https://t.co/IavZUcyUP7

The article itself, was written by Calandrian Simpson Kemp, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, a ‘different’ gun control group, but whose board sits Shannon Watts, the founder of Everytown For Gun Safety.

The stock image shown in the article is problematic. If you know anything about guns, you’ve probably already noticed. If you don’t know anything about guns, you were already clued in by the headline. The stock photo depicts a handgun that could not possibly fire, because the ammunition is loaded into the magazine backwards.

This continues to fuel the longstanding annoyance that gun control advocates don’t actually know anything about the item they are trying to control or fund initiatives for.

The conflation between semi-automatic and fully automatic by gun control groups has always been a large point of contention with people who own guns. Gun control types generally act like there isn’t a meaningful difference when their error is pointed out, or accuse us of ‘gunsplaining’ in order to proudly parade their ignorance as if no faults could possibly exist. I’ve always said this is like calling a bicycle a motorcycle. A bicycle requires a manual pedal rotation for a tire rotation, while a motorcycle only requires the throttle to move. Calling a semi-automatic weapon a fully automatic one, or an assault weapon, sounds just as stupid as calling a bicycle a motorcycle.

The article itself is problematic, because it makes the case that minorities will die in classrooms if teachers are allowed to carry. It arrives at this logic because it cites minorities being disciplined more in the school system. Ultimately, this article hinges on an unspoken conclusion that teachers will execute students as a form of school discipline. This is absurd.

Shannon Watts, the founder of Everytown, has also previously tweeted a picture of a rifle completely aghast that this scary looking rifle is available for purchase at Sportsmans Warehouse.

Upon further examination, the rifle that Watts tweeted above is a bolt action .22 caliber. It’s great for hunting, so long as the animal isn’t larger than a rabbit.

Ignorance is no excuse. It’s not something to be proud of. Nobody is gunsplaining to you. We’re simply asking you to learn the very basic common sense that we know, if you’re going to parade your ignorance as common sense to promote gun control. Nobody is hurting you by asking you to know what you’re talking about.

Check out some of the reply tweets to Everytown’s backwards magazine below

Who ever is holding that weapon isn't going to be doing anything once that mag goes in.

This organization is a parody it just has to be. Whoever is tweeting for this everytown is a complete moron. Ur doing ur own scam charity a disservice by tweeting this parody of a message lol. Best of luck ur really gona need it

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/gun-control-group-everytown-tweet-backfires-after-showing-magazine-loaded-backwards/feed/04 Bits of Advice from Ben Franklin on How to Be a ‘Rational Being’https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/4-bits-of-advice-from-ben-franklin-on-how-to-be-a-rational-being/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/4-bits-of-advice-from-ben-franklin-on-how-to-be-a-rational-being/#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 14:15:57 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88542Have you ever noticed that there seem to be fewer calm and level-headed people these days? Almost everyone seems to operate through a lens of emotion and feeling rather than plain ol’ common sense. This is perhaps no surprise as schools and society have encouraged a feelings-oriented approach to life through the advancement of positive

]]>Have you ever noticed that there seem to be fewer calm and level-headed people these days? Almost everyone seems to operate through a lens of emotion and feeling rather than plain ol’ common sense.

This is perhaps no surprise as schools and society have encouraged a feelings-oriented approach to life through the advancement of positive self-esteem. Given this, many Americans are likely unaware of how to retrain themselves to act in a rational, reasonable manner. For those who wish to foster this retraining, four simple rules which Benjamin Franklin laid out for himself may help in the matter.

1. Get Out of Debt

“It is necessary for me to be extremely frugal for some time, till I have paid what I owe.”

Franklin was no stranger to debt, a fact which should endear him to the average college graduate who has roughly $40,000 to pay back in student loans. But he also realized that the rational approach to dealing with this debt was to live a modest lifestyle and forego all but the essentials until the debt was taken care of. Those who wish to operate as rational creatures today will do the same.

2. Seek Truth
According to Franklin, “the most amiable excellence in a rational being” is the ability to “aim at sincerity in every word and action.” As such Franklin sought to speak the truth and avoid being misleading to others.

That’s a tall order for those who live in a “post-truth” society where individual beliefs or identities reign supreme. But the fact remains, the truly rational person won’t avoid objective truths, but will embrace them and be unapologetic and un-swayed by those who condemn him for such a stance.

3. Be Industrious
Franklin recognized that wealth does not often come through get-rich-quick schemes. Instead, he declared that “industry and patience are the surest means of plenty.” The rational individual will recognize this and choose such a path even when difficult.

Unfortunately, this view is no longer popular amongst Americans. As Charles Murray explains in Coming Apart, American workers have begun to reverse course in their attitudes toward work. Instead of seeking a job where “work [is] important and gives a feeling of accomplishment,” increasing numbers of Americans are seeking job security and fewer hours.

4. Guard Your Tongue
In a world dominated by social media and a 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to blurt out any thought that comes to mind or any report that reaches our ears. But as Franklin infers, the rational individual will do the opposite, being careful to be a bearer of good reports rather than malicious gossip:

“I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of every body.”

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about these four rules is the fact that Franklin penned them in 1726, at age 20. Ironically, many of today’s young people are in college at that age, where they receive little of the prudent advice Franklin offered.

Does our society need to revive the simple straightforwardness of cultivating rational creatures?

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/4-bits-of-advice-from-ben-franklin-on-how-to-be-a-rational-being/feed/0“I’ve Been Preparing My Whole Life For Something Like This” Says Man Nearly Hacked To Death By Girlfriend, Allegedlyhttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/ive-been-preparing-my-whole-life-for-something-like-this-says-man-nearly-hacked-to-death-by-girlfriend/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/ive-been-preparing-my-whole-life-for-something-like-this-says-man-nearly-hacked-to-death-by-girlfriend/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 15:55:00 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88525Follow on Facebook or Twitter A man from Camas, WA woke up in the middle of the night to being stabbed by a samurai sword. He credits martial arts movies for saving his life, after he Wing Chun Do’d his way out of it. Emily Javier called 911 after attacking her boyfriend in his sleep

A man from Camas, WA woke up in the middle of the night to being stabbed by a samurai sword. He credits martial arts movies for saving his life, after he Wing Chun Do’d his way out of it.

Emily Javiercalled 911 after attacking her boyfriend in his sleep with the sword she had taped to the side of the bed. “He’s in there, I just stabbed him” Emily told the operator. Police arrived to find her boyfriend Alex Lovell with multiple stab wounds, and was originally listed in critical condition.

Emily believed her boyfriend Alex was cheating on him when she discovered the Tinder app on his phone, noticed scratches on his back and claims she found a red hair in the shower that didn’t belong to either of them. She bought the sword at the mall, and had it at the ready for him to fall asleep.

“I was trying to kill him for cheating,” she told the police. Previously that night she stated that Alex had been ignoring her. Alex stated that his video game regimen was simply too intense, and he couldn’t keep up with the affection that she was looking for.

“The attack took place in the early hours of Saturday, March 3. Javier allegedly waited until Lovell had fallen asleep, and then stabbed him with a samurai sword she had purchased at the mall a few days before. Lovell said he only survived thanks to his knowledge of Wing Chun — a Chinese martial art he told Buzzfeed he became “obsessed with” after watching the kung fu movie Ip Man.

“I’ve been indirectly preparing myself for this night my whole life,” he explained. “I didn’t freeze. The Wing Chun came out. I was able to stand on a knee that was just almost chopped in half and a foot that was hanging on by a thread,’ Lovell told Buzzfeed.”

Alex was able to convince Javier to stop the attack, after suffering slashes to his head, neck, torso and legs. Doctors were also able to save his fingers which were nearly cut all the way off. Alex had explained that the hair had belonged to one of the dogs. He also stated that he didn’t have any luck on Tinder, because he wasn’t tall.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/ive-been-preparing-my-whole-life-for-something-like-this-says-man-nearly-hacked-to-death-by-girlfriend/feed/0Putting Your Creativity to Good Usehttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/putting-your-creativity-to-good-use/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/putting-your-creativity-to-good-use/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 14:57:26 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88535 There are many people that have a really creative streak but never actually put it to good use. Not everyone is born with creativity – it is something that can be developed and some of the lucky ones are naturally creative. If you have any sort of creativity and you want to enjoy making some

]]>There are many people that have a really creative streak but never actually put it to good use. Not everyone is born with creativity – it is something that can be developed and some of the lucky ones are naturally creative. If you have any sort of creativity and you want to enjoy making some extra money, you could do so with ease by harnessing your creativity and passion.

Whether you are an artist, a writer, or you are brilliant at crafts such as making jewelry, cards, and candles, you can start earning a decent income from your creativity. You can even look for storage units in Bell Gardens so that you have a dedicated place to work from without creating any mess or clutter in your home.

Some of the creative things you could do

The type of thing that you do will depend upon where your flair and creativity lie as well as on your personal interests. When you are creating something, it has to be something that you love to do and that your heart is in. This is what makes a huge difference when it comes to the finished product. One of the areas you could look at is artwork if you have an eye for detail and artistic flair. Many people these days not only create wonderful art but they are also able to sell it with ease online using social media sites or online marketplaces. This could earn you a decent income and means that you can enjoy doing something that you live.

Online writing is another great creative career option that you could turn to. If you have a knack for doing research and creating high quality articles and content, you can find many people that will be willing to pay for your services. This is something that you could even do on a fulltime basis eventually, although you may want to start off doing it part time until you have established yourself and built up a client base.

For some people, creating homemade greetings cards for all occasions is something that they love to do. All you need to do is purchase the necessary items you need to decorate your cards and you can then enjoy creating unique and personal cards not just for friends and family but also to sell online to other people. Again, this can be quite a lucrative creative hobby because greetings cards are always in demand.

Finally, you could look at turning your hand to something such as making your own jewelry or scented candles to sell online. These are products that have become increasingly popular over recent years, so you should have no problem finding customers. You could even set up a stall to see your items in addition to selling them online, which can help to boost the income you earn even further.

So, if you feel you have creativity and flair, don’t let it go to waste – use it to have some fun and earn some extra money.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/putting-your-creativity-to-good-use/feed/0Facebook Promotes Pedophilia In Search Results, According To Usershttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/facebook-promotes-pedophilia-in-search-results-according-to-users/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/facebook-promotes-pedophilia-in-search-results-according-to-users/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 14:49:06 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88515Follow on Facebook or Twitter Some Facebook users are reporting disturbing suggested search results on Facebook which allegedly promote pedophilia. A post began making the rounds telling users to type “video of” in the Facebook search box and take note of the suggested results. A number of horrified users posted a screenshot of their

Some Facebook users are reporting disturbing suggested search results on Facebook which allegedly promote pedophilia. A post began making the rounds telling users to type “video of” in the Facebook search box and take note of the suggested results.

A number of horrified users posted a screenshot of their results, who were using various PC and Mobile platforms. They all reported similar results.

One user was brave enough to click on the suggested result. Thankfully, it did not actually reveal any content which had been posted to Facebook, rather stating that no results matched the search.

Many of the users on the thread expressed disgust. One person commenting who resided in the United Kingdom stated this result did not display on his end, as well as another user from Australia, leading to the theory that the result is localized to the United States.

The result did not display for me either, however this did not cross my feed until several hours after it was posted. It may be possible that Facebook caught on and got rid of the result, or it simply may not have been localized to my area of the United States.

Likely, this was a stunt by a group who induced the results by searching for these results over and over again to create a trend in the Facebook search algorithm. However, if Facebook can catch a drawing of an AR-15 in a video and ban the user, one would hope they could have immediately picked up on “little girl giving oral” and prevented such wording from trending.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/facebook-promotes-pedophilia-in-search-results-according-to-users/feed/0What business owners need to know about improving staff moralehttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/business-owners-need-know-improving-staff-morale/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/business-owners-need-know-improving-staff-morale/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:47:17 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88531A recent study showed that American employers are spending one hundred and sixty billion dollars a year on paid sick-leave days. However, this unbelievable amount can be reduced by improving the day to day experience of the average worker. Instead of forcing your employees to spend their time in an unpleasant environment, tackling more work

]]>A recent study showed that American employers are spending one hundred and sixty billion dollars a year on paid sick-leave days. However, this unbelievable amount can be reduced by improving the day to day experience of the average worker. Instead of forcing your employees to spend their time in an unpleasant environment, tackling more work than they can handle, it is your responsibility as an employer to boost your staff morale. Doing this will help you to improve your profits, optimize your operation, and avoid costly mistakes. If you are wondering where to start, below are six tips that will help you to raise the spirits of the individuals that work for your organization.

Find bonding activities that everyone will enjoy

If you want to truly get the most out of your team, it is important that you understand exactly how your staff works with one another. It is not enough to simply hand out tasks and expect results. Instead, you need to adopt a proactive approach and think carefully about the way in which your team is interacting. If you are determined to learn more, you should find bonding activities that everyone will enjoy. Then, you can use these activities as an opportunity to observe your employees. Bonding experiences such as a Boston Escape Room could also be an excellent way for you to bring your team closer together. Not only will you find out about their strengths and weaknesses, but they will also be able to learn more about their own. This knowledge will come in handy when you return to work and start moving forward with your entrepreneurial endeavors.

Invest in your human resources department

The next step is to invest in your human resources department. Although it is important that you keep a close eye on the relationships shared between your employees, it is vital that you keep an appropriate distance. Otherwise, you could be accused of favoritism or micromanaging. Luckily, you can strike the right balance by hiring a reliable human resources department to take control of this aspect of your operation, and this will help to improve the process of dealing with disputes, hiring new staff members, and terminating contracts. Why place your staff morale at risk, when you can turn to the professionals for help?

Make improvements to your working environment

Another area where you should be investing any available funds is your working environment. It is a great way for you to make your staff feel better about coming into work each day. Instead of forcing your employees to spend their time in a dark, depressing, cluttered, and chaotic environment, you need to ensure they are happy with their surroundings. That is why you should hire a professional cleaner and evaluate your interior design. It is also important that you find the space for a communal area such as a staff room, kitchen, or outside space as this will help to improve the dynamic between your team. It will also prevent your workers from feeling as though all you care about is their ability to make money. You need to make it clear that you also value their overall health and happiness.

Invest in your technology

In addition to this, you should invest in your company technology. Doing so will save your employees from struggling to cope with out-of-date devices. Common issues such as slow software and wavering internet connections will make it extremely hard for your workers to feel motivated. How can you expect them to power through their workload, if they don’t have access to the necessary tools? Luckily, you can resolve the situation by fitting out your office with new desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Or, if your company doesn’t handle a lot of sensitive information, you could encourage your employees to bring in their own devices. Although this is a great way to save money, you need to make sure that this doesn’t lead to staff members wasting time on social media or their personal emails.

Establish yourself as an approachable team leader

If you are determined to keep your workers on track, you will need to establish yourself as an approachable team leader. You can do this by leaving your office door ajar, setting up a suggestion box, asking for anonymous online feedback, and arranging regular one-to-one meetings with your workers. You should also explore a wide range of communication techniques that will help you to get through to your employees. For instance, you could host quick-fire team meetings where all attendees are asked to stand up. Instead of giving your team time to get nervous, you could create an environment where everyone is bouncing ideas off one another. Another idea is to take on a different role in your company for a couple of hours every week. It will help you to access your operation from a different perspective and to relate more closely to the workers that you are speaking with.

Think carefully about the different roles in your team

Evaluating the different roles in your team is another essential part of boosting staff morale. In order to secure loyalty from your staff, you need to ensure they can see a future with your company. That is why you should avoid taking on too many new employees, without first thinking about your existing members of staff. Perhaps you have a worker that is desperate for promotion and would feel disheartened if you overlook them for an external candidate. Maybe you have a member of staff that will feel pushed out if you take on a younger, more creative thinker. Of course, you don’t want to hold back on your plans for expansion, but you also don’t want to disrupt your existing workforce. That is why you should think carefully about the different departments that you are managing and the individual workers that make up these teams. It is also important that you think about the wages that you are providing, as you don’t want to be caught out paying any of your team less than they are owed.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/business-owners-need-know-improving-staff-morale/feed/0Surging Drug Prices Cause Some US States to Consider Bringing Drugs in from Canadahttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/surging-drug-prices-cause-some-us-states-to-consider-bringing-drugs-in-from-canada/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/surging-drug-prices-cause-some-us-states-to-consider-bringing-drugs-in-from-canada/#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 13:00:19 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88529There are many aspects of life in the United States which make other countries envious. However, the United States healthcare system, and in particular the recurring problems it suffers with spiraling drug prices and other inflated costs, is not one of them. Recently, the problem of surging drug prices has taken on a new overtone

]]>There are many aspects of life in the United States which make other countries envious. However, the United States healthcare system, and in particular the recurring problems it suffers with spiraling drug prices and other inflated costs, is not one of them. Recently, the problem of surging drug prices has taken on a new overtone of desperation, as states line up to import their medicines in bulk from Canada.

The Canadian Alternative

It is well known, especially by those who live in the US side of the border, that prescription drugs are available just over the border for a fraction of what they cost in the US. However, until now, the buying of these drugs for the purposes of cross-border consumption or sale has occurred on the personal level, with individuals seeking access to the drugs they need. The situation was immortalized in the film The Dallas Buyer’s Club, but even these small groups of buyers were making relatively small purchases compared to those that some US states might soon be making.

The Vermont Bill

Legislatures in Vermont are now considering the creation of an agency whose role would be to purchase the most commonly prescribed prescription medicines in bulk from Canada. This would allow the states to access the drugs for a much lower price than they currently can and then distribute them to state pharmacies. Utah, West Virginia, and Oklahoma, all have similar measures currently being debated and discussed.

The Vermont bill has been sponsored by state senator Ginny Lyons. Lyons has said that pharmaceutical companies operating in the state are “getting away with murder” across the US. As many in the United States are facing economic hardships, and trust in pharmaceutical companies is abysmally low as the opioid epidemic wears on, there is a sense of collective fatigue setting in. Surely this situation cannot be allowed to continue?

Beginning of the End?

While this first step is an important one in ensuring that more Americans have access to affordable healthcare, it still is only a first step. Should all four of these states be successful, they will still only account for a small percentage of the Union’s total population. In order for the stranglehold that these companies hold over the American people to be broken, systemic and regulatory changes need to be made.

America has the most advanced healthcare system in the world; it is underpinned by the best doctor training and the best medical assistant education programs available. Unfortunately, relatively few in the general population are able to take advantage of it. The unfettered, rabid pursuit of profits above all else has cost the American people dearly, in terms of both money and lives, but this could be a significant first step towards ending that.

For their part, officials at Health Canada have said that it is too early for them to make any concrete comments, but they certainly haven’t shot down the proposal. Naturally, the pharmaceutical industry is aghast, and the lobby is in full swing trying to mount opposition to a piece of legislation that could change the lives of millions of Americans.

]]>https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/surging-drug-prices-cause-some-us-states-to-consider-bringing-drugs-in-from-canada/feed/0Simple photo editor for Machttps://thelibertarianrepublic.com/simple-photo-editor-for-mac/
https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/simple-photo-editor-for-mac/#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 21:16:24 +0000https://thelibertarianrepublic.com/?p=88512Considering the popularity of blogging today, the amount of users who wish to have high-quality content also increases. The easiest way to improve the image quality is to use a worthy image editing application. Today, these software solutions became extremely popular and lots of software developers try to make their products easier to use and

]]>Considering the popularity of blogging today, the amount of users who wish to have high-quality content also increases. The easiest way to improve the image quality is to use a worthy image editing application. Today, these software solutions became extremely popular and lots of software developers try to make their products easier to use and more professional.

Polarr is regarded to be one of the best and the easiest editing applications, allowing you to quickly edit your images. Today, lots of users prefer taking photos with the help of their smartphones. This is very convenient because you shouldn’t carry too heavy equipment with you but unfortunately, not always the existing environment allows you to make high-quality images. In this context, you should download a photo, which requires enhancement in Polarr, and edit it.

Polarr provides you with a sterling opportunity to edit your photos (you just need to select the best approach to image editing). It provides you with an opportunity to adjust a photo’s light – you just need to select the saturation, tone, color brightness and set the appropriate parameters.

Polarr Photo Editor is endowed with a wide array of different filters, which will help you achieve stunning effects. Due to the applications as Polarr is, users shouldn’t rack their brains over the question how to use Photoshop filters. Even inexperienced users can edit their photos through the use of features offered by this application.

This manipulation tool is offered in two versions: there is a basic set of features in a free version and a full set – in the paid version. The second one is endowed with a plethora of high-quality tools as text, masking, vector options, renaming, resizing or batch exporting options. The price is $19.99.

The interface is clear and not cluttered with extra icons. If you download this application for the first time ever and can’t understand how to use one or another option, a tutorial system will help you find the answers to lots of questions. There is the “Guides” menu on the right side. If you have any clarification-seeking questions, you should open this menu. You’ll find what every feature does and when it should be applied.

There is also a digital pen which is used for masking. Using it, the procedure of applying different effects will be faster. Using Polarr, you can not only edit your personal photos, but you can also create simple invitations or cards. The choice of filters permits you to do this avoiding the necessity to understand how to use Photoshop.

Furthermore, if your regular work is related to editing screenshots or images (you need to resize them or make simple adjustments), then Polarr is an ideal solution for you.

For quick access to the application, you can set up your iPhone or iPad to show Polarr as an editing tool in the camera. Due to this feature, you can quickly edit any images (almost immediately after you make it).

The watermark option is also great because it allows you to mark your image. Use this option, if you need to show who the author of this image is.

If necessary, you can customize all icons as you desire. Commonly, users select several filters and use them on a rolling basis. This option allows you to put the most widely-used icons in the center of a navigation menu. To do this, you should just drag and drop them.

Polarr is also packed with a variety of import or custom filters, allowing users to create custom filters in the application or use more than 100 ready filters.

If you need to add text or different shapes to your image, a text tool will let you do this. Polarr Image Editor is a high-quality and powerful option for those users who don’t want to rack their brains, trying to understand how one or another professional tool runs. This is a cross-functional application, allowing you to apply lots of adjustments to your photos and make them look amazing.